Welcome
Since 2013, Coast Mountain Academy has been providing a rich and dynamic educational experience. As a young and evolving school, we have been fortunate to ‘live’ the learning process along with our students. To build the vibrant culture that is such an important piece of our institution, we have needed to be creative, thoughtful, caring, adaptable and resilient. Ironically, these are the very same qualities that we aim to develop in our students. I believe our graduates demonstrate these characteristics and are well-prepared when they embark on their post-secondary journeys.
A founding belief of Coast Mountain Academy is that education is not limited to the classroom.
Fortunately, our campus is situated in an incredibly diverse natural environment that allows our teachers to bring learning to life outside the walls of our school. Coast Mountain Academy’s E3 (Enriched Experiential Education) program ensures our students have a variety of learning experiences both on and off-campus to enliven the academic experience. All students participate in our LEAD (Leadership Expeditions for Academic Discovery) program which provides students with dynamic multi-day trips into the outdoors every year. On these trips, students learn new skills and develop an appreciation of the natural world. Over a student’s career at CMA they will travel to a variety of places: from the unique landforms of Garibaldi Park to the gold-rush history of the Yukon River. These expeditions provide students with authentic opportunities to develop character, confidence, and resilience.
In addition to perusing our website, I encourage you to visit our school so you can meet our faculty and staff who are passionate and dedicated to creating an amazing educational experience for our students. On campus you will come across a happy and dynamic student body with a wide variety of talents and interests. I encourage you to look closely at our interdisciplinary approach to teaching both at the middle school and senior school level, as well as the opportunities for choice and the variety of options students have in their studies.
I look forward to one day welcoming you in person to the Coast Mountain Academy community.
Mr. Brett Logan
Head of School
Meet our Team
Jason Morrison
Transportation
Board of Directors
Geoff Park
Geoff Park is the Chair of the CMA Board of Directors, founder of Camp Summit, and a proud CMA parent. He had a dream to start a school in Squamish that he would have liked to attend. Thanks to his drive and determination that school now exists and his 2 daughters get to go there every weekday.
Geoff Park
Geoff Park is the Chair of the CMA Board of Directors, founder of Camp Summit, and a proud CMA parent. He had a dream to start a school in Squamish that he would have liked to attend. Thanks to his drive and determination that school now exists and his 2 daughters get to go there every weekday.
Amongst all the initiatives that Geoff is involved in, his full-time role as the founder and Director of Camp Summit, an Outdoor Education Centre in Squamish takes up most of his time. Summit works with many of the top schools in BC and beyond and welcomes over 3,000 students & campers per year through various outdoor and experiential education programs. Geoff is very involved in the Squamish Community having sat on the Board of the Squamish Community Foundation and Tourism Squamish as well as currently sitting on the BC Camps Association Board of Directors and the Ashlu Creek Foundation.
David Greenfield
David Greenfield is a valued founding member of the CMA Board of Directors, founder of the Sea to Sky Gondola, and an all-around really nice guy. His dream of creating a local independent school for his family and the Sea to Sky Corridor has been realized. Now David is the proud parent to a CMA Alumnus from the Class of 2019.
David Greenfield
David Greenfield is a valued founding member of the CMA Board of Directors, founder of the Sea to Sky Gondola, and an all-around really nice guy. His dream of creating a local independent school for his family and the Sea to Sky Corridor has been realized. Now David is the proud parent to a CMA Alumnus from the Class of 2019.
David is a principal and founder of the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, principal and founder of the Malahat Skywalk in Mill Bay, BC, and a principal at Groundeffects Development Inc. He is currently working at developing major tourism projects in BC and North America. David has been keenly interested in improving education options in the Sea to Sky corridor and brings a solid business perspective to CMA.
Toran Savjord
Toran Savjord is a founding member of the CMA Board of Directors, Vice President Strategic Planning, Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness at Capilano University, extremely active community volunteer, and busy parent of 4 with one currently at CMA and an Alumnus from the Class of 2020. Does he ever sleep?
Toran Savjord
Toran Savjord is a founding member of the CMA Board of Directors, Vice President Strategic Planning, Assessment & Institutional Effectiveness at Capilano University, extremely active community volunteer, and busy parent of 4 with one currently at CMA and an Alumnus from the Class of 2020. Does he ever sleep?
Toran’s career began as an educator and administrator specializing in outdoor recreation and adventure tourism. His experience in post-secondary extends to program creation and developing certificates, diplomas, and degrees for colleges and universities throughout B.C. His current role with Capilano University keeps him busy, but he still finds time to serve on numerous boards and committees including the Squamish Sustainability Corporation, Tourism Squamish, Squamish Official Community Plan Advisory Steering Committee, Coast Mountain Academy, and previously on the Quest University Canada Foundation, and the Squamish Nordic Ski Club.
Jeremy Black
Jeremy Black brings over 30 years of varied business, financial, and leadership experience. In addition to significant financial, strategic, and governance expertise, Jeremy also brings a passion for raising good humans (2 of whom attend CMA).
Jeremy Black
Jeremy Black brings over 30 years of varied business, financial, and leadership experience. In addition to significant financial, strategic, and governance expertise, Jeremy also brings a passion for raising good humans (2 of whom attend CMA).
Jeremy Black lives in Whistler, is the father of two sons who are thriving at CMA, and is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Metrie. Before joining Metrie in 2018, Jeremy was the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Whistler Blackcomb, where he led finance, investor relations, information technology, and strategy development initiatives. He has held executive and senior leadership roles in several highly successful Vancouver-based companies, including Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers and Intrawest, and is a Board Director for Technical Safety BC. In the community, Jeremy has served on the Board of Whistler Youth Soccer Club and has been the Treasurer of 1st Whistler Scouts. In his non-working time, you can usually find Jeremy on his skis or his mountain bike, relishing all that the Sea to Sky has to offer.
Laura Dobell
Laura Dobell is one of two new additions to the Board of Directors, and parent to a middle school student at CMA. Recently returned to BC, Laura brings her entrepreneurial experience and enthusiastic personality to support the board, administration, staff and students.
CMAP – Coast Mountain Academy Parents
My name is Jennifer Black, and I am one of the parents who helps lead our parent group, CMAP (Coast Mountain Academy Parents). My husband and I feel incredibly lucky to have such a special school for our boys to attend.
CMAP strives to build a vibrant school community for our students and families through volunteerism, fundraising, and as ambassadors for CMA. By liaising with CMA staff, faculty, alumnae and parents, CMAP volunteers work to build bridges between school, home, and the broader community, creating an ever-deepening spirit of community.
We meet monthly via Zoom, our meetings provide topics of discussion that are meaningful to us as parents of young learners. In addition to the discussion topics, each meeting will cover upcoming important dates, fundraising ideas, and other schoolwide events.
We are very excited to come together as a positive community during this very uncertain time. I know I speak for many of us when I say how grateful we are to have a school so full of rich, meaningful learning experiences and that our children can attend school all day.
-Jennifer Black
CMAP Chair & Proud CMA Parent
CMA Mission
Simply stated, we at CMA endeavour to graduate inspired leaders with the exceptional academic, social, and emotional preparedness common to conscientious and successful global citizens.
Coast Mountain Academy offers:
- Challenging and Rigorous Academics
- Low Teacher to Student ratios
- Focus on Student Engagement
- Passionate Professional Educators
We create dynamic indoor and outdoor classroom experiences to support the wholistic development of students.
Our program fosters opportunities for well-rounded and deep learning. Our students, as future citizens of Canada and the world, will require skill sets for jobs that have yet to be created. 10 years ago many of today’s most sought after careers did not yet exist. Creativity, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking are top amongst the transferable skills required for well-being and success in the 21st century.
The qualities that our teaching methods nurture include:
- A knowledge-seeking disposition
- Desire to explore ideas of personal interest
- Self-awareness
- Critical thinking skills
- Resilience / strong work ethic
- Motivation to seek out answers or people/resources that can contribute to personal knowledge
- Empathetic relationship and communication skills (collaboration mindset)
- Desire to challenge current perspectives and expand physical and cognitive capabilities
- Affirmative attitudes and challenge/opportunity mindset
- Acceptance of a diversity of perspectives and identities
Our very highest ambition is to create experiences that nurture students’ sense of wonder and promote the pursuit of life-long learning. If we can inspire our students to become curious and resilient knowledge-seekers then we believe we have met the objectives of our professional callings as educators and contributed to a fulfilling life for our students.
CMA Philosophy
Coast Mountain Academy was established to provide an independent secondary school option in the Sea-to-Sky corridor. From the very beginning, we have taken inspiration from the people and places that are unique to this part of the world. Our programs have been designed to make the best use of exceptional local teaching venues and are focused on being responsive to the needs of the community. With this inspiration, we endeavor to create a school culture that promotes the integration of grade levels and inspires students to practice their citizenship from the local to global scales.
As a small school, we will have many opportunities to travel together, learn together, and create the connections that students will sustain throughout their time at CMA and beyond. Community is very important to the success of students and the extent to which the climate of learning can extend beyond the school itself. Our commitment is to draw in all the CMA stakeholders and involve them in meaningful ways.
Affiliations
CMA is presently a member or involved with the following organizations:
- FISA BC (Federation of Independent School Associations) – Member
- Squamish Chamber of Commerce – Member
- BC Ministry of Education – Class 2 Independent School (Class 3 pending)
- ISEEN (Independent Schools Experiential Education Network) – Member
- Squamish Independent Education Committee – Convened by CMA
We have presented at the following events:
- Squamish Breakfast Club
- Whistler Learning and Education Taskforce
- Rotary Club of Squamish
CMA is seeking affiliation with the following professional organizations and associations:
- ISA BC (Independent Schools Association of BC)
We have been represented at the following meetings, conferences, and workshops:
- Institute for Innovation in Education Conference 2016 – Vancouver Island, BC
- Google Apps For Education (GAFE) Conference 2015 – Kamloops, BC
- National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Conference 2012 – Seattle, WA.
- Squamish Mayor’s Forum on Education – Squamish, B.C.
- Saints’ Institute 2012 and 2013 – St. George’s School. Vancouver, B.C.
Location
Coast Mountain Academy is located in beautiful Squamish, British Columbia, Canada on the Quest University campus, which itself is located on the traditional territory of the Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh) First Nation.
Our campus borders on Garibaldi Provincial Park, a protected wilderness area with kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails. To the West and South, we overlook the rugged peaks and valleys of the Tantalus Mountains and Howe Sound, Canada’s southernmost fjord.
These natural surroundings provide Coast Mountain Academy with a vast outdoor classroom that inspires the academic and social activities of our school.
Take a virtual tour of Squamish and the Sea to Sky Corridor with this amazing local video. This is why Squamish is the place to live, work, and learn.
FAQ
What grades does CMA teach?
CMA offers grades 7 – 12.
Is Coast Mountain Academy an ‘Outdoor School’?
“Outdoor Schools” are typically focused on outdoor education or programs that expose students to natural environments and build the ‘hard skills’ related to outdoor pursuits.
Coast Mountain Academy’s primary objective, on the other hand, is to provide a rigorous academic program that supports and promotes university preparation. Courses will meet and exceed the standards set by the internationally recognized, BC Ministry of Education endorsed, British Columbia Certificate of Graduation, also known as the “Dogwood Diploma”.
CMA’s classes are taught predominantly in classrooms, though we do believe in the power of ‘taking kids outside’ to engage their sense of discovery. As a result, we explore outdoor classrooms and work to take our curricula outside whenever appropriate.
Are students able to use the Quest cafeteria?
Yes. Students have supervised lunch blocks which have been carefully scheduled to allow enough time for the walk to and from the Quest cafeteria. As Quest has full residence facilities, their cafeteria provides a wide range of hot and cold meal options at a competitive price.
Is there transportation service from outside of Squamish?
Yes. You can read more about this topic on our Transportation page.
How does CMA meet and evaluate students with different combinations of learning styles?
The CMA faculty explore diverse ways in which components of a student’s evaluation can be differentiated and / or individualized; allowing them to demonstrate subject comprehension in a meaningful and effective way appropriate to the student themselves.
The concept of student-designed assignments recognizes that students are able to demonstrate comprehension and deep understanding in ways other than those created by a teacher or the Ministry of Education. Such assignments are better able to take into consideration a student’s interests, abilities and specific learning styles. By having the student assist in the design of the evaluation criteria, we encourage accountability, promote engagement, and provide a means for creative expression.
On what criteria are admissions be based?
A fundamental premise of CMA’s educational philosophy holds that a student’s capacities, competencies, and potential cannot be evaluated from grades alone. Thus, our admissions policy will take a wholistic approach. In addition to past academic performance, we will include consideration of a student’s involvement in music, the arts, sports, community service, global stewardship and other extra-curricular interests. The ideal CMA student will demonstrate the personal motivation to invest him/herself fully both in the CMA community and in his/her own personal learning and development.
CMA will review each prospective student’s current academic standing and will interview both the parents and the student to allow all parties to share their goals and expectations. As a new school, CMA’s traditions, character and reputation will be shaped by our inaugural classes. We look forward to welcoming students who will thrive in our dynamic environment and who, in turn, will contribute positively to the school’s development.
What qualifications are required of CMA teachers?
All CMA faculty are certified BC teachers. Many hold advanced degrees in their academic field and / or in Education. Most Faculty also hold relevant professional development qualifications, advanced first aid certificates, and wilderness skills certifications.
For details on each CMA faculty member, see our staff biographies.
How is the CMA instructional programming model unique?
The CMA curricula are an ongoing and collaborative process between faculty members and the Head of School. The essential framework for all courses includes the following elements:
- All core subjects satisfy the requirements of the BC Ministry of Education Dogwood Diploma.
- Where beneficial, subjects are integrated to provide a wholistic approach to learning and increased context between disciplines. In practice, this means linear (“full year”) combined-subject courses where teachers can connect closely-related knowledge which is technically part of more than one Ministry of Education course.
- Student’s academic studies are connected to application in the real world through regular instruction outside the contemporary classroom environment (see E3). Our region is rich in learning venues and we believe strongly in place-based education opportunities.
- Technology is integrated into every stream of the curricula to enable a higher level of collaboration, efficiency, and accountability than ever before.
- Daily Physical Activity (Ministry of Education DPA) is an important focus of the CMA program (see PE + Math).
What are the benefits of teaching at CMA?
Do you have a passion for education? For you, is teaching a calling, not just a job? Would you like to have direct input into how courses are taught and the opportunity to create the programs of which you have always dreamed? CMA can be a vehicle for you to exercise your educational and professional ambitions.
Coast Mountain Academy will require a great deal of investment and ongoing commitment to accomplish our mission and fulfill our vision. If you are searching for a career path that could lead towards your life legacy, Coast Mountain Academy might just be the right place for you.
Where do teachers get to teach?
Teachers will have the opportunity to teach in modern classrooms, on top of mountain peaks, in, (literally in) rivers, on lakes, at cultural events, in foreign countries, libraries, rock faces, university campuses, while travelling…see where this is going?
Although our contemporary indoor classroom will be the primary learning venue, other options will be explored for their ability to enhance the teaching and learning experience. Our teachers will recognize the climate of learning as extending beyond the walls of the school itself and will work to reflect this in the experiential component of the IPM and the participatory design of the CMA educational system.
What skills do CMA teachers need?
In order to be successful at CMA, faculty and staff will need to come prepared for the trials and inevitable challenges associated with developing, opening, operating, and growing a school. This teaching experience will be unlike any other you may have had in that it will require more investment, both personal and professional, and yield more reward than most other positions in education otherwise could.
Our teachers will join our education community as stakeholders in, and contributors to, a ‘climate of learning’. They will work with parents, students, administration, external assets, etc. in order to facilitate a contiguous educational system aimed at enhancing teaching and learning opportunities for other stakeholders.
Work with us
Coast Mountain Academy is an independent day school located at the incredible campus of Quest University Canada, in Squamish, British Columbia. CMA promotes excellence in education through innovative and inspiring programming models for students in grades 7 to 12.
Our unique style of teaching and learning is informed by findings from current academic research and time-tested educational philosophies. CMA strives towards the application of emergent teaching innovations and dynamic learning venues, both of which are carefully applied to meet the needs of an evolving 21st-century pedagogy.
Simply stated, we at CMA endeavour to graduate inspired leaders with the exceptional academic, social, and emotional preparedness common to conscientious and successful global citizens.
Drawing on the experience of some of the most successful educational innovators across North America, we are creating highly-engaging indoor and outdoor classroom experience to support the holistic development of students. Smaller class sizes, longer class periods, and an emphasis on cross-curricular learning will take full advantage of our rich natural environment. Our priorities are to enable our students with the skills and support to earn their education and develop proficiency in written and oral communication, empathetic relationships, and critical analytical thinking — the keys to success in post-secondary education and beyond.
See our Common Questions page for more details on what a CMA teacher will bring to the school.
Application Process
We encourage you to send your resume, cover letter and supporting resources to [email protected] for future consideration and for our substitute teacher list.
At Coast Mountain Academy we like to do things differently. In addition to the standard type-written CV, please feel free to express your creativity in other ways. We are seeking creative knowledge seekers to join our team, so show us how you stand out. What will make you the teacher that students talk about 20 years from now? Be innovative. Be engaged. Be inspired.
Formatting submissions:
Applications should be addressed to Mike Slinger, Head of School.
For organizational purposes, please send us one file that includes all of the relevant information. Use the following file name format: “Lastname, Firstname – Application for (insert position)” (i.e. teacher, staff, driver, administration, etc.)
Thank you very much, we look forward to reading your submissions.
Current Opportunities
Staff Opportunities
Thanks for your interest! Currently, we do not have any staff opportunities.
Faculty Opportunities
Thanks for your interest! Currently, we do not have any faculty opportunities.
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